JOHN H KERR
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 297 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Mecklenburg County
- Operator
- USCE-WILMINGTON DISTRICT
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1952
- EIA plant ID
- 3833
- Generators
- 9
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 463 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 18%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.5993, -78.3004
JOHN H KERR, a 297 MW Hydro power plant in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Operated by USCE-WILMINGTON DISTRICT, commissioned 1952.
How JOHN H KERR compares
With 297 MW of capacity, JOHN H KERR ranks 22nd among the 103 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Virginia and 3rd of the 24 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 7.5% of Virginia's operating Hydro capacity and 1.5% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 67th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1952, it is older than 83% of the 101 operating Virginia plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, USCE-WILMINGTON DISTRICT, runs 2 operating plants in Virginia totaling 311 MW.
EIA-860 lists 9 generators at the site with 297 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 463 GWh in 2024 (an 18% capacity factor), up 42% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1952 and 2008.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is KERR DAM, about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line, under 0.1 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 7 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WARRENTON FARM (4 MW, Solar).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
JOHN H KERR is a 297 MW hydro power plant in Mecklenburg County, VA, operated by USCE-WILMINGTON DISTRICT, commissioned in 1952. Mecklenburg County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.4 of 5 at the 36th national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 85th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Mecklenburg County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.14 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 59th | 3.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 36th | 2.4 of 5 | 3.2 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 44.9 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 29th | 2.2 of 5 | 0.27 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 26th | 2.1 of 5 | 4.9 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | 4.2 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 0.82 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 14th | 1.5 of 5 | 1.3 |
Perils not assessed in Mecklenburg County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Mecklenburg County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.